Matej Sušnik, Institute of Philosophy, Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract: This paper examines a well-known non-identity case of a mother who chooses to conceive a blind child instead of a sighted one. While some people accept the non-identity argument and claim that we should reject the intuition that the mother’s act is morally wrong, others hold onto that intuition and try to find a fault in the non-identity argument. This paper proposes a somewhat middle approach. It is argued that the conclusion of the non-identity argument is not necessarily in conflict with our intuitive response to this case.

Keywords: Blameworthiness; choice; non-identity argument; nonidentity problem; permissibility.